Chasing the Rabbit
by hitobashira
Summary: Everyone Usagi cares about turns against her and she winds up at a college in the US. Sailor Pluto awakens Haruka and Michiru and takes them to the Us to be with Usagi and try to heal the rift among the Senshi
1. Default Chapter

Usagi moved through the crowd with an ease and grace that many who'd known her in her younger days would never have believed. She let out a mild curse as she caught sight of the line that awaited her at the registrar's office. This was her last semester at college and she desperately needed to make sure she was registered for this last class. She pushed her way through the crowd and got in line.  
  
She glanced around at the people in the crowd and once again felt lost in the mass of people. When she'd graduated high school, she had wanted to get as far away from Tokyo as possible so she'd convinced her parents to let her attend school in the United States. She didn't like to think about what had happened all those years ago, but somehow, it was never far from her mind.  
  
She'd been through a lot in her junior high school days that had changed her. When she'd first been forced into the mantle of Sailor Moon, she hadn't wanted to fight for love and justice. She'd whined and complained about how being Sailor Moon was destroying her life, but it hadn't really. The responsibility had helped Usagi to grow up. Over time, she'd found the other Sailor Senshi and they had joined her to fight evil. She thought she had found friends she could rely on. How wrong she'd been. Just like she'd been wrong about Mamo-chan. Usagi felt her heart twist as she thought about him. She'd loved him with all her heart and he'd dropped her like a hot rock and shattered her heart.  
  
Usagi sniffed and wiped her face with the back of her hand, drying off the stray tear that had formed. It had been almost six years and his memory still tore at her heart. How could she still have so much feeling for such an insensitive and hateful.ass. She winced as she though the word. Somewhere deep down inside, Usagi couldn't help but still love him. To her, he was still her destined lover. The one man in the world who could complete her. Unfortunately he didn't want her in this life. He'd old her that it was a mistake trying to resurrect a love from a past life that had nothing to do with this one. He'd proceeded to list all of her faults and told her that he could never love someone like her.  
  
That had been the worst day of her life, although the weeks that had followed had grown no better. She'd turned to her friends for comfort, but they'd been cold. For some reason Usagi still couldn't understand, they'd started avoiding her. When she had finally confronted them on it at a study session at the shrine, Rei had told her flat out that they were tired of her and the way she acted. That they didn't need to hang around her anymore since the last of the Dark Moon clan had been taken care of. Usagi had been shocked and looked at the others, but the looks on their face had been all the confirmation she'd needed. Looks of pity and annoyance had been all Usagi had seen before she'd run from the shrine in tears.  
  
She'd spent the rest of the year keeping mostly to herself. She'd tried to rekindle her friendship with Umino and Naru, but she'd completely ignored them in favor of her new friends and they'd snubbed her in return. Usagi had been lonely her last year of junior high and she'd spent her time studying. Her parents had been astonished at the sudden change in her grades, but had been worried at her lack of friends. They'd asked her about it many times, but Usagi hadn't wanted to let them know what had happened.  
  
Usagi's grades had improved enough for her to get into a fairly prestigious private high school. She'd been surprised that she'd been accepted, but had leapt at the chance to leave behind her troubles. It had been hard to see Ami and Makoto constantly ignoring her and to see Naru and Umino together and knowing that she wasn't welcome. The worst thing was that she still managed to see her Mamo-chan at least once a week, even though she didn't want to. For some reason, they always ran into each other on the street, where he would snub her in front of everyone. Yes, the private school was a release for her. No one there knew her or cared about what had happened in the past.  
  
Usagi had made a few friends at her new school, but had found it more difficult to let people close. After being betrayed by her friends in junior high, she tended to keep to herself and hide in her studies. She had laughed bitterly when she realized that she was acting like Ami had when she'd first met her. She had hated studying for years, but she had found the escape that it offered. When she was learning something, she could put her pain out of her mind. Her teachers had been proud of her and had encouraged her to apply to a wide variety of colleges. That was how she'd wound up at a small Washington state University in the United States, just outside of Seattle.  
  
She was majoring in computer science and programming, which would surprise anyone she'd known before everyone had turned against her. She was snapped out of her reverie by someone poking her in the back and remarking that the line was moving. She advanced forward and quickly found herself at the front of the line. She gave the registrar her class list and waited while it was entered in the computer.  
  
"I'm sorry, miss," the lady behind the desk said, "but the modern history class you wanted is already full. Do you have an alternate?"  
  
"No," Usagi said sadly. "That was the only class I could find to fill the requirement. And I need the class to graduate."  
  
"Well, let me see," the lady said sympathetically. She worked the computer a bit before turning back. "There's another course with an opening that will fill your requirement, if you'd like that one."  
  
"Thank you," Usagi said fervently. She stood, shifting from one foot to the other nervously while the lady printed out her schedule.  
  
"Here you are, miss," the lady said, handing her a piece of paper. "Have a nice semester."  
  
Usagi smiled and stepped away to let the next person in line up to the counter. This was one reason she'd chosen a small college like this. People were more friendly here. She breezed through the crowd, heading out onto the green in front of the administration building when she saw something startling. There were three women standing under a tree talking that Usagi felt she knew. She was sure that she hadn't met them before, but something about them tugged at her mind. They stood out in the crowd; one was a tall bronzed woman with long green hair, one was a slim androgynous woman with short blonde hair and the last was a stunning aqua haired woman.  
  
Usagi felt herself drawn to them, but suddenly shook her head and snapped herself out of it. She didn't have time for this, she had to go and buy her books for her classes before she went to work. Usagi looked down at her watch and gasped. It was this late already!? She had to hurry. Usagi took off at breakneck speed, dodging and weaving around other students, the three strange women she'd left behind completely forgotten.  
  
Setsunna watched the blond girl with the two odangoed pigtails fly through the crowd with amusement. It had taken a great deal of time to find Haruka and Michiru and awaken them. It had distracted her from watching over the time stream and she'd missed her chance to change what had happened with the Inner Senshi. She'd been shocked at how they'd abandoned their leader and princess and turned against her, but when she'd tracked it back it had made a terrible sense.  
  
Prince Diamond had been a cunning enemy, even in his defeat he'd managed to pull off a kind of victory. Before his death, he'd managed to hit the Inner Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen with some of the energy from the dark crystal. Not a lot, and not in an obvious manner. It had slowly made them angry and jealous of Usagi, until they couldn't stand her any longer. Setsunna had removed the influence that had caused the problem, but she was afraid it was too late. The damage had been done. Setsunna knew that Usagi had always been a kind and forgiving soul, but even she could be pushed beyond what could be borne.  
  
Unfortunately that also spelled the end of the Crystal Tokyo that Setsunna had known. It was unlikely that there would ever be a Small Lady like the one she had known and loved. The time line had irrevocably shifted and the mists of uncertainty had covered the Gates so that Setsunna could no longer see the events that would shape the future. In an act of desperation, she had gone and awakened Uranus and Neptune early. They had not been meant to awaken until the Deathbusters had threatened, but for some reason, they had never surfaced.  
  
Haruka and Michiru watched the older woman as she stared after a blonde girl running through the crowd. They had never seen their princess before, but Setsunna had assured them that Usagi was the real thing. There was no reason to deny it now. Both of them could feel the drawing that the girl had upon them. Something about her made them want to be with her and protect her. Haruka looked over at her comrade and smirked.  
  
"So that little kitten is our princess, eh Michiru," Haruka said.  
  
"I suggest you keep your womanizing instincts under control," Michiru said with mock severity. She held the expression for less than a minute before breaking up into a fit of giggling.  
  
Haruka smiled much more tenderly at her new partner. Haruka had always known she was different than other girls. She'd hated wearing feminine clothes and had never enjoyed the things all the other girls her age did. Haruka had always been drawn to the thrill of martial arts and the danger of racing. Even more than that had been the realization that she was attracted to women. It had shocked her, almost as much as it had her parents. They'd been unhappy, but they'd come to accept that this was how their daughter was. Haruka had found it frighteningly easy to attract girls, just by dressing like a guy. In fact, most people took her for a guy on casual inspection. She'd flirted with many girls, but had never gotten too close. She'd never been comfortable with what she was, always feeling that something was missing. Until she'd met Michiru.  
  
Michiru had been unlike anyone Haruka had ever met. For the first time, the infamous flirt Haruka had been at a loss for words. Worse, she had blushed and stammered. Fortunately, Setsunna had awoken both their memories of their previous lives, so Haruka hadn't suffered long. Once they had awoken, both had remembered their love for each other.  
  
Michiru reached over and took Haruka's hand gently in hers. She had always imagined a normal life for herself when she was young. She'd studied the violin for years, showing a positive genius for that as well as her artistic ability with paint and canvas. She'd toured across Japan performing for the upper crust and had her paintings exhibited in fine galleries. But something had always been missing in her life. Both she and her parents had expected that she would meet a boy of suitable background and get married, then she would have children. Michiru had never suspected that her heart would fall to the brash woman beside her.  
  
When Setsunna had first approached her, she'd agreed to meet with Haruka and see if there really was some truth to the story. She'd been surprised at first to realize that the famous racer Haruka Ten'oh was really a woman. More surprising was the intense attraction she'd felt towards Haruka. Never in her life had she been interested in a woman and it had scared her. At least until Setsunna had returned their memories of their past lives. Michiru had relived her love for Sailor Uranus and had been unable to deny her feelings. At least she'd been able to enjoy the stammering and blushing that had been Haruka's initial reaction. Michiru still teased her about it sometimes.  
  
"We'll have to get to know her," Setsunna said. "It's going to be awkward because she has very little trust left in her. What happened with the Inners hurt her badly and she's been afraid to let anyone too close since then. I've arranged for her to be in the class I'll be teaching here, so I can meet her that way. We'll need to find a way for the two of you to get close to her."  
  
"I think we can manage," Haruka said with a sly smile at Michiru. "Although I find it funny. Who better to teach a history class than the Guardian of Time?"  
  
Setsunna just smiled at them.  
  
* * *  
  
Usagi dumped her books on the table with a sigh and flopped down on the couch. She'd barely managed to get to work on time after buying her books, and Usagi hated to be late for anything. She barked a bitter laugh at that thought. When she'd been young, she hadn't worried about being late. Being late had always seemed a fair trade off for sleeping or hanging out with her friends, but Usagi had changed. She briefly wondered if Rei and the others would even recognize her now. She knew she would never forget them. Even though they had rejected her and hurt her, she still cared about them and wished them well.  
  
Usagi leaned back in the plush old sofa and breathed a sigh of relief. She worked as a waitress at a small café near her apartment to bring in some extra money beyond what she had left over from the scholarship money and what her parents could afford to send her. She'd told them that she could support herself and that they needed to save the money for Shingo to go to school, but they still sent it to her. What they didn't know was that she always put that money in a savings account and planned to send it to Shingo when he was ready for college.  
  
"Hey, Usagi," a feminine voice came from in the kitchen, "are you hungry? I still have some food left over from dinner, if you want it."  
  
"Sure, Zach, that would be wonderful," Usagi replied, not moving an inch. "I'll worship you for the rest of my life. I'll build temples in your memory. I'll even name my firstborn after you."  
  
"Wouldn't that be cruel to the poor child," Zach said as he came out of the kitchen carrying a plate and a glass of iced tea. He was a petite man, not standing much taller than Usagi herself at five and a half feet. His hair was a light blonde like hers, but he wore it in a loose ponytail that hung all the way down his back. He moved with an unconscious grace as he set the plate and glass on the coffee table in front of Usagi. "I wouldn't wish my name on anyone. God knows I suffered enough in grade school for having a name like Zacheriah. Besides, I've heard that story before. You say it every time you're hungry and I haven't seen a single alter yet."  
  
Usagi laughed lightly as her friend twitted her. Her parents would have been shocked to know she was living with a man here in the United States. Well, her mother would calm down once she knew the situation, but Usagi's father would have exploded in a fatherly eruption of titanic proportions. He'd get that blazing kanji for father glowing on his forehead and would go off on the poor boy like he had threatened to do with Mamo-chan. Usagi pushed that painful memory away and pulled herself back to the present and the heavenly smell of the food in front of her.  
  
As she dug in, she reflected that Zach was a substantially better cook than she was, not that that was hard. It probably wasn't hard for someone who was doing graduate work in chemistry to follow a simple recipe, but he always managed to make it better than that, like there was something extra in the mix that made it taste like a piece of heaven. Their arrangement here worked out for both of them, especially since neither held any attraction for the other. Zach had been a teacher's assistant for the mandatory chemistry class that Usagi had to take her freshman year and they'd become friends. When Zach had been desperate for a roommate later that year, Usagi had managed to talk him into letting her live with him. He'd been hesitant, but he hadn't wanted to lose the apartment that he couldn't afford on his own, so he'd agreed.  
  
They got along very well, each cheering up the other in their worst moments. There had been funny times as well. For the longest time, Usagi had thought that the effeminate Zach had been gay, and when she'd asked him what kind of boyfriends he'd had, she'd had the rare pleasure of seeing the glib man at a loss for words. He'd assured her that he was definitely heterosexual, but that he hadn't met anyone he was interested in a long time. Usagi had been horribly embarrassed by that incident, but things like that had cemented their friendship.  
  
"Are you going somewhere tonight," Usagi asked, suddenly noticing that Zach had cleaned up the apartment and was dressed rather nicely.  
  
"Did you forget already, Usagi," Zach asked in exasperation. Usagi just stared at him blankly. He sighed. "Two of my old friends are coming here tonight. They live in Seattle, but I don't get to see them often. So, Jason an I are going to spend the evening catching up on old times." He stopped for a moment, hesitating. "Do you mind if I bring them back here later? Neal and Ken might want to crash on the floor?" "I don't have a problem with that," Usagi replied as she swallowed the last of the food. "I have class tomorrow, but not until noon, so I can sleep in a little if I need to. And by the way." She paused for effect. "How come all your old friends are guys? I never hear about old girlfriends. I only hear stories about you and Jason and this Ken and Neal."  
  
"That's because we've been best friends all of our lives," Zach replied as he picked up Usagi's dishes and took them to the kitchen. "As different as we are, we compliment each other. We were drawn together when we met in grade school and have stuck together since."  
  
"It must be nice to have friends who stick with you like that," Usagi said with a note of jealousy.  
  
"Well," Zach replied haughtily, "Some of us are just naturally better at making friends."  
  
Zach's attitude had the desired effect of making Usagi laugh as she lifted a pillow and swatted him with it. He avoided the blow, but tripped over the low coffee table and wound up in a sprawl on the floor. He looked over at her sheepishly as she dissolved in a fit of giggles.  
  
"Go on," she said. "Don't keep your friends waiting. I don't mind if you bring them back here, either. I wouldn't mind meeting them."  
  
"Your wish is my command," Zach said, rising to his feet and mock bowing to her. He scooted out the door just ahead of the pillow she threw at him.  
  
Usagi watched him leave with a smile on her face. She sank back into the couch with a sigh and thanked god for sending a friend like Zach into her life. Good friends were something she had never had many of and she cherished them.  
  
To be continued. 


	2. Chapter 2

Usagi groaned as her alarm went off. She raised her head and stared at the numbers blearily. When Zach had returned the night before with his friends, they'd spent hours talking before she'd plead class the next day and collapsed on her bed well after four in the morning. She reached out and shut the alarm off, somehow managing to find the energy to stagger to her feet and amble towards the bathroom. She turned the shower on and stripped before climbing in and leaning into the water.  
  
As she began to wake up, she mapped out her day. First, she had class at noon, then another at two. After that she'd go into work at three and work until nine when the café closed. Then she'd come home and get ready for tomorrow and do any homework that might get assigned the first day. Finally feeling fully awake, she turned off the water and quickly dried herself. Wrapping the towel around her, Usagi moved to her room, only now noticing that Jason, Ken and Neal were still here. And they were now staring at her. Neal and Ken rather appraisingly too.  
  
Usagi blushed and ducked into her room, berating herself for forgetting that those three had planned on crashing there the night before. She tossed the towel over the rack on her door to dry and got dressed. She packed her books and notepads in her bag and carried it out into the living room of the apartment. She stuck her tongue out at the men lounging around, their eyes red with lack of sleep. Something about them together like this pricked a memory in Usagi. Each of the men looked somewhat like people she'd seen before, but she'd never made the connection without all of them together. That was silly though, Beryl's generals had all been killed, either by her or by internal politics. Just because she now knew four men who looked somewhat like them was just a coincidence. Really.  
  
She moved into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of muffins on her way out to tide herself over until after her class, promising her stomach a more substantial offering later. She waved goodbye to everyone and dashed out the door.  
  
The guys watched as she left, frankly staring. Finally, Neal turned to Zach and broke the silence. "Damn, Zach, how'd you get such a hot roommate," he asked.  
  
"I'm being rewarded for my many virtues," Zach said with a mock pious expression, which promptly earned him a pillow in the face. "Seriously though, I was just plain lucky with Usagi."  
  
Ken raised an eyebrow, commenting, "So Zach got lucky, huh?"  
  
"It's not like that," Zach protested, blushing fiercely despite himself.  
  
"Ah, methinks the gentleman doth protest too much," Neal quipped with a leer.  
  
"Come on, guys," Zach whined while Jason fell over laughing. "It's not like that. Hell, she thought I was gay at first." Zach's attempt at denial was laughed down by his friends as he blushed furiously.  
  
"He's right," Jason interjected, finally getting hold of himself. "There's nothing going on there. Poor old Zach is as virginal as ever, despite having a cute roommate."  
  
"Come on, Jason," Zach said, discomfort obvious. "you know I haven't found the right woman yet. Why do you have to throw it in my face like that?"  
  
"He does it because the rest of us accepted reality a long time ago," Ken said softly. Everyone was quiet as he said this. "We all had the dreams when we were younger, Zach, but you're the only one still holding on to them. We've all come to grips with the fact that the women in are dreams are just that and we have to make do with the women we find in reality."  
  
"Is that why none of you have had a relationship that's lasted more than a week," Zach asked fiercely. The others ducked their heads, avoiding looking Zach in the eyes. "No matter what you say, none of you have given up on them either, so cut it out. Just because I'm honest with myself about how I feel, doesn't mean you should make fun of me for it."  
  
"Zach," Neal said softly. "You're right. It's just that it's hard on us to deal with sometimes. We've been looking for them for years and never found a trace of them. Sometimes we just lose hope."  
  
"Sometimes I wonder if we're looking in the wrong places," Ken mused. When the others looked at him questioningly, he said, "We've just searched wherever we happen to be. Maybe we should broaden our search. Who's to say they were even born in this country? We assumed that they had to be Caucasian because of their hair and skin, but look at Usagi. She's one hundred percent Japanese and she's as blonde as Zach. I think we should make up portraits and hire some private investigators. Just for a little while. You never know what we might find."  
  
"That sounds expensive," Zach complained as he and Jason winced.  
  
"Don't worry," Neal replied. "Ken and I make way too much money as it is. I think we can cover the tab for you two as well as ourselves."  
  
"Then we're agreed," Jason said. "We'll each make up a portrait of our ladies as we remember them. New ones, mind you. I don't think they look like they did when we were fourteen anymore, or at least mine doesn't."  
  
"You're right," Neal replied, his brows furrowing in thought. "The image has changed over the last ten years. Not a lot, to be sure, but enough that she doesn't look the same anymore."  
  
"All right, now who's up for lunch," Zach chimed in cheerfully.  
  
* * *  
  
Usagi slumped in her seat, glad she had managed to make it to class on time after all. She pulled her bag from her shoulder and let it fall to the floor in front of her desk. She'd expected that this history course would be a lecture class, but it was being held in one of the smaller classrooms on campus. There were only five or six other people in the room and Usagi realized with a start that she knew most of them. They were all Japanese students that she had met here. What was going on?  
  
The door opened and a tall woman walked in. She was dressed in a pale gray skirt suit and had long green hair that flowed down past her waist. Her bronzed skin set off her scarlet eyes amazingly well. Usagi had the strangest suspicion that she'd met this woman somewhere sometime before. She was obviously the teacher as she moved to the table at the front of the room and set her briefcase down.  
  
"Good morning, everyone," she said turning to face the class. "My name is Setsuna Mei'oh and I will be the instructor for this class. This class was added late, as the administration had not decided to offer it until I was hired, so the class is likely to remain quite small. While as a history course this class will be primarily lecture, we will take one class a week to discuss issues. They can be from any subject you want from popular culture to ancient literature. I want you to engage each other in thought provoking discussion. I would prefer it if we can keep to historical topics, but I am comfortable with however it goes."  
  
Setsuna proceeded to pull the class roster out of her briefcase and took the roll call. It didn't take long, although there were two people who were absent this morning, a Michiru Kai'oh and a Haruka Ten'oh. Setsuna made a notation on the list before passing out the syllabus and beginning her lecture.  
  
"Usagi had prepared herself to be bored to tears. She'd never found history all that interesting and had never expected it ever to be so, but when Setsuna talked, you felt as if you were learning of events firsthand. She was a masterful storyteller and it shone through her lecture. She focused more on innovations and how they changed society. Usagi found herself enthralled and was surprised when Setsuna stopped and announced that the class period was over. Everyone shook themselves and checked their watches with muted exclamations of surprise before gathering their books and taking off.  
  
"Miss Tsukino," Setsuna said before Usagi could leave the room. "May I have a word with you?"  
  
"I guess," Usagi replied, surprised.  
  
"I was wondering if you could look in on Miss Kai'oh and Miss Ten'oh for me," Setsuna asked. "They just arrived from Japan two days ago and I'm afraid they may have had problems adjusting to the time change."  
  
"I guess so," Usagi said, surprised to be singled out for this.  
  
"Here is the address they are staying at," Setsuna said, handing her a slip of paper. "I know this must be a surprise, but I'm their advisor here and I was informed that you have done well in helping students new to the United Stated to adjust."  
  
"Sure," Usagi said, sticking the address in her bag. "I'll stop by a little later today."  
  
"Thank you, Miss Tsukino," Setsuna said with a twinkle in her eye. "You can run along now. You look like you could use some lunch."  
  
Usagi nodded and left the room, intent on answering the call of her stomach.  
  
* * *  
  
Usagi opened her locker and pulled her apron off. The shifts at the Firestar Café weren't all that long, but they were always busy. The Firestar was right next to campus and it was on the way to several of the major apartment complexes that housed students off campus. That made it a convenient place for students to come off and on throughout the day. Sonya, the manager, tried to keep a good sized staff, but it was difficult. Usagi hung up her apron and pulled her bag out before shutting the locker. She was always stiff after a shift and her day wasn't over. She'd promised that she would check in on those new students.  
  
Usagi exited through the door at the rear of the café that all the staff used, turning out onto the alley between the Firestar and the bank next door. It was still early enough that the air was hazy with late summer heat and the sidewalks and roads were fairly congested with traffic. Usagi paused at the mouth of the alley and dug through her bag until she'd located the address she'd been given. She looked at it and felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. The address was for an apartment on the far side of town from the campus and those were very expensive apartments. These two must be fairly well off.  
  
Usagi moved out on the street and saw the bus coming up to the stop just ahead of her. With an exclamation of "Lucky!" Usagi ran to meet it. She climbed on, flashing her student ID at the driver and took a seat. The bus rumbled forward, stopping every couple of streets to let new passengers on and others off. Usagi gazed out the window as she watched the town roll by. The business district was small and soon gave way to houses, both residential and student rented. Beyond that was the Super Wal-Mart that had moved in last year. Usagi had gone in there once or twice and hadn't been impressed. She'd never been fond of the American ideal of one stop, faceless, convenient shopping. She, like most Japanese, preferred the comfort and personal touch of small stores where you knew the people.  
  
Usagi tensed, her hand gripping the top of the seat in front of her as the bus rolled to a stop. She rose to her feet and wove around the other passengers to get to the exit. She climbed out of the bus, swinging her bag clear as the doors closed behind her. She stood there a moment, looking up at the building. The Orleans Apartments, the sign in front of her read. Usagi had heard of this place. It specialized in luxury apartments and was where the college usually housed their very important visiting faculty. These two must be loaded to be able to afford the rent here.  
  
Usagi entered the lobby and looked at the list of residents on the wall. They were listed as being in an apartment on the seventh floor. She moved across the lobby, her shoes clicking on the tile as she headed towards the elevator. She pressed the call button and was surprised to find the elevator waiting for her. Usagi stepped in and rode to the seventh floor, nervously shifting as the elevator slowly ascended. The doors opened on a balconeyed walkway that ran around the floor.  
  
Usagi stepped out and looked at the nembers on the doors by the elevator. "Hmm, 710 and 708," She said softly. "I want 704, so it should be down on this side." She moved around the walkway until she came to the right door. The numbers shone with a golden gleam and for some reason she couldn't quantify, Usagi felt uneasy. She raised her hand and knocked firmly on the door. She could hear someone on the other side moving and the locks being undone until the door finally opened.  
  
"Hello, I'm Usagi Tsukino," she said as the door opened on a young woman. Usagi stared in surprise as she caught her first glimpse off the slim aqua haired beauty. "Ms. Mei'oh asked me to stop by."  
  
"Hello, Usagi-san," the woman said as she opened the door wide. "My name is Michiru. We've been expecting you. Setsuna said that she was going to have you stop by. Please come in."  
  
Usagi nodded and stepped into the apartment, her sense of nervousness increasing. The apartment was richly but tastefully furnished. Usagi looked around and noted that the artwork on the walls seemed to all be recent. They were very well done and one of them caught Usagi's eye. It was hanging at the far end of the hall and was a massive canvas. Usagi found her eye drawn to it in a very intense way that frightened her. She moved forward, not entirely of her own volition until she stood before the painting. It was a beautiful scene of a palace with arching spires and beautiful fountains. And it had the earth hanging in the sky in the background.  
  
A low chuckle managed to break the hold the painting had over her and she turned to see the other occupant of the apartment lounging on the couch. A tall athletic blonde, with short blonde hair and dressed in slacks and a button down shirt was giving Usagi an appraising look. Michiru closed the door and came into the room, sitting down next to her roommate. Very close to her roommate. Usagi's eyes narrowed as she looked the blonde over more carefully. She noted the lack of an adam's apple and the way the blonde was sitting and realized that this was a woman.  
  
"You must be Haruka," Usagi said, noting how the blonde had put her arm around Michiru's shoulders and how Michiru had leaned into her.  
  
"Yes I am," Haruka replied, her voice very deep for a woman. It was a surprising contrast to Michiru's soft soprano. In fact, Haruka herself was a startling study in opposites to Michiru. One exuded femininity and the other masculinity. "And you're Usagi-san. Setsuna didn't tell us that you were so cute."  
  
"Behave, Haruka," Michiru said, her voice playfully reproving.  
  
"This is a beautiful painting, Michiru," Usagi said turning back to the magnificent canvas.  
  
"It's one of my favorites," Michiru said, gazing at Usagi intently. "It took me months to paint a canvas that large the way I wanted it."  
  
"You painted this," Usagi asked in shock.  
  
"She's quite the well-known artist," Haruka said lazily. "Even though most people don't understand what she's painting. Most people look at that and see a beautiful picture. But you see something else, don't you, Usagi?"  
  
"What are you talking about," Usagi asked nervously.  
  
"She means," A familiar voice said as Setsuna Mei'oh stepped out of the kitchen, "that you see the past in the painting. That you see a place you've been to, don't you, Princess?"  
  
Usagi jerked back in shock at the use of that title and started to edge her way around the room towards the door to the hallway. "I don't know what you're talking about," Usagi said flatly as her eyes darted toward the door.  
  
Haruka rose lazily to her feet, Michiru followed her. "There's no need to worry, Princess," Haruka said. "We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help."  
  
"I still don't know what you're talking about," Usagi said, her voice starting to become slightly hysterical. She was trapped in here with three strange women. Who knows what they'd do with her. Maybe they were some kind of evil lesbian satanic cult looking for a sacrifice. Maybe they had worked for Beryl or Diamond, Usagi thought as she started shaking. "Please don't hurt me," she said in a small voice.  
  
Michiru looked shocked and horrified and Haruka just looked insulted. Setsuna stepped forward and took Usagi's trembling hand in hers. "We're here to help you, Princess," she said and reached into her pocket, pulling something out. She opened her hand to show Usagi what she'd retrieved.  
  
Usagi looked down at a stylized pen with a ringed globe on the top and a symbol that looked like a strange letter p. She gasped as she recognized it as a henshin pen. She looked up into Setsuna's eyes and asked a silent question. Setsuna nodded and put the pen back in her pocket and led Usagi back to the couch.  
  
"You're Sailor Senshi," Usagi asked in an amazed voice as she collapsed onto the couch.  
  
"I'm Sailor Pluto," Setsuna said as she sat down gracefully next to Usagi. "Michiru is Sailor Neptune and Haruka is Sailor Uranus. And you're our Princess and Sailor Moon."  
  
Usagi sat there feeling numb for a moment, unable to feel anything. Then an emotion began to rise up through her. Anger. Where had they been when the others had abandoned her? Where had they been when the love of her life had shattered her heart? Why had they felt the need to set her up like this? What right did they have to claim anything from her? She wasn't the Princess anymore. She'd left that part of her life behind her and she'd be damned if she'd let anyone drag that pain back into her life.  
  
Usagi abruptly stood and stalked to the door, every line of her body taught with fury. The others were too surprised to react at first. They'd been expecting her to welcome them. As Usagi was picking up her bag, Setsuna said, "I can tell you what happened to make them turn against you."  
  
There was a dreadful silence in the apartment for a tense moment. Then the sound of a bag hitting the floor could be heard and Usagi walked back into the room and sat down stiffly on a chair across from the others. "Say your piece," Usagi said as coldly as she could manage.  
  
To Be Continued.  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to read this and those who've responded to it. It's been fun to write, but I wanted to say a few things. This is planned to be a Mamoru/Usagi romance, just so you know. However that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. Nor are things between Usagi and the other Senshi going to be resolved easily. This could qualify as a dark fic, but I think it's not so much dark as it is reflecting of the pain of relationships in general. Nothing in life is easy.  
  
Thanks, hitobashira 


	3. chapter 3

"Say your piece," Usagi said as coldly as she could manage, sitting stiffly on the couch opposite Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna.  
  
Setsuna sighed as she looked at her princess. Usagi's face was wary and closed, almost devoid of emotion. The only thing that she could read was a hint of fear around her eyes. That nearly broke Setsuna's heart. Her princess was afraid of her. "I know it won't mean much for me to say this, but I'm sorry for what happened between you and the Inner Senshi."  
  
"I'm sure you are," Usagi replied icily.  
  
"We never met in this lifetime," Setsuna said. "When you passed through the Time Gates to go to Crystal Tokyo, I watched you but was unable to interact. I was not allowed back into the time stream until just over a year ago."  
  
"What are you talking about, let back into the time stream," Usagi asked. "Luna told us that you were the Guardian of the Time Gate. What prevented you from stepping in?"  
  
"I may be the Guardian," Setsuna admitted, "but I don't really have the kind of control over the Gate that you might think. There are rules I am bound by, oaths that are enforced by the magic that powers the Gate. I am allowed limited control at certain times when there has been tampering with the time stream. Wise Man and Diamond had been messing with time and I was freed to take steps, like when I sent Small Lady back and allowed all of you to travel forward. But the price I pay for that control is having to stay locked outside of time for certain lengths of time. I was only allowed to re-enter the time stream last year."  
  
Setsuna paused, staring into Usagi's eyes. She could swear she'd seen Usagi's composure crack when she'd mentioned Small Lady. "I saw what happened, but I was unable to act. I am not allowed to alter the past. Once the time stream is set, it is inviolate."  
  
"So you saw all the others turn against me," Usagi said flatly.  
  
"Yes," Setsuna replied wincing. "And I know why they turned against you."  
  
Usagi's eyes teared over despite her best efforts, but her voice was steady as she responded, "They turned against me because they believed that I wasn't fit to be the princess, and that I was dragging the team down. Mamoru said that none of them should be bound to me because of what happened in a past life."  
  
"That's not the reason why they said it Usagi," Setsuna replied, glancing over at Haruka and Michiru. They had been staring wide-eyed at the two of them, following the conversation like it was a tennis match. Setsuna was sure they were shocked too. Their memories of the princess had been of a warm and loving girl who had drawn them into a family despite the loneliness of their positions. She sighed as she continued, "Those were the reasons they gave, but there was something beyond that, something beyond their control. You see, Usagi, they were being influenced like Mamoru had been before you traveled to the future."  
  
"What do you mean by influenced," Usagi asked. "I know the dreams Mamoru had been having were what drove the first wedge between us, but we'd gotten past that with Chibi-Usa's help."  
  
"I know," Setsuna replied sadly, "but it was that very trip to the future that caused this all. When you defeated Diamond, dark energy was released. He'd been drawing power from the crystal and storing it in himself for quite a long time by that point. When he died, the energy attempted to follow his last commands, the destruction of the Sailor Senshi. It managed to infect all of the others, causing them to turn on you."  
  
Usagi was very quiet for a moment. She'd lived with the pain of her friends rejection for years now and it was very tempting to believe that it had all been caused by an outside agency. Something deep inside her wanted to believe what Setsuna was telling her, but she was reluctant. If she accepted that, she would have to forgive the others for hurting her. "And suppose I believe you," Usagi finally asked. "What then? Do you expect me to reform the Sailor Senshi? To bring everyone back together as if nothing ever happened?"  
  
"No, I don't," Setsuna replied sadly. "I hope that someday you'll be able to forgive them, but I don't expect you to do so anytime soon. They hurt you badly, whether or not it was their fault, and you need time to heal. As for the Sailor Senshi, that's why I searched for Haruka and Michiru. They were to have awoken six months after your defeat of Diamond, when another enemy reared it's head. However, Diamond's interference threw the time line out of skew. The enemy who they were supposed to battle with you never emerged, so they didn't wake up. When I found where you had gone, I woke them and brought them to you. If the Sailor Senshi are needed, we will take up the responsibility. You don't need to accept the others again until you choose to do so."  
  
"Besides," Michiru added, joining the conversation, "the others are in no shape to help you either."  
  
"What do you mean," Usagi asked.  
  
"When I came into the Time Stream again," Setsuna replied, "I removed the last traces of dark energy from Mamoru and the Inner Senshi. But by then, the damage had been done. Not only had they alienated you, they had also fought amongst themselves and alienated each other. None of them have spoke to each other for the last six years. If I hadn't watched through the Time Gate, I'm not sure if I could have found them myself."  
  
Usagi felt a guilty flash of satisfaction at that, even though she shouldn't be happy about something bad happening to someone else. They had hurt her badly and somewhere deep inside her, in a dark corner of her mind, she felt that justice had been done. "So if you aren't here to force me back into being Sailor Moon, what do you want?"  
  
Setsuna was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was full of sorrow, "Once, long ago, we were a family, all nine of us. We didn't always get along, but we were always there for each other. I had hoped to salvage some of it. I'd hoped you'd be able to accept the three of us into your lives."  
  
Usagi felt her heart tugging at Setsuna's obvious loneliness when something tugged at her mind. "Wait a minute," she said. "You said nine of us, but with the three of you, me and the Inners it only makes eight. Who's the ninth?"  
  
"The ninth is Sailor Saturn," Setsuna replied. "I wasn't able to find any trace of her. The girl I had suspected was her disappeared three years ago and I don't know what happened. One day she was there and the next she was gone."  
  
"But she's still alive, right," Usagi asked hesitantly.  
  
"Yes, princess," Setsuna replied. "Our powers bind us together. All of us will know when one of the Senshi dies. The bonds between us now are weak with distance, both physical and emotional."  
  
"I see," Usagi said, staring at the three woman sitting across from her. She'd always prided herself on being able to read people's body language, and she could almost taste the tension pouring off the three of them. They were desperate, Usagi decided. For her to accept them.  
  
"Can you please give us a chance," Michiru asked softly, her voice pleading. "I know you're mad at the others, but we never did anything. We want to be with you. I can remember my past life now and it's not much different than my life now is. I've always been isolated from others, felt alone in the world. But you, the princess brought us together and made it so we were never alone, that we always had someone to rely on. And if it hadn't been for you, I would never have met Haruka." Michiru reached over and took Haruka's hand in hers, grasping it tightly.  
  
"I've always been different too," Haruka said softly. "I've never fit in with other girls. I was always too masculine. I was never comfortable in a dress, always preferred men's clothes and men's sports. Most of my way through high school, I passed myself off as a guy. Then Setsuna found me and woke my memories. She brought Michiru back into my life and she brought us to you." Haruka stopped a minute, her voice too thick to continue. "I remember when we first met in our previous lives. I was rude, arrogant, standoffish and a general pain in the ass, but you broke through that in a matter off days. You introduced me to Michiru. Everything that was good in my life came from you and I want to be part of your life again."  
  
Usagi didn't realized it, but tears had started flowing down her cheeks. She launched herself across the coffee table, arms spread wide as she grabbed the three in a hug. The three Outer Senshi were surprised, but quickly gathered Usagi in a warm group hug, assuring her that everything would be all right now.  
  
* * *  
  
Zach stared at the canvas in front of him. Painting had always been a hobby of his. When he'd been younger, he'd seriously considered going into art. Fortunately he'd had a teacher who had crushed his aspirations. He hadn't liked that at the time, in fact he'd been rather bitter about it for a year or so, but he finally had accepted that art wasn't where his talents lay. High school had introduced him to chemistry and biology and he'd found an unexpected talent for it. He'd made his goal to become a biochemist, but he'd never truly abandoned his art.  
  
Art was a release for Zach. When life had grown too frustrating, he'd retreat to his room and paint. When he became too depressed, he'd paint. Now he was painting an image he'd recreated a thousand times before, that of a girl who'd haunted his dreams since he was a child. His brush fairly flew across the small canvas, moving whites and blues to frame her beauty.  
  
He heard the door open and saw Usagi dragging herself in. Looking over at the clock, Zach was startled to discover the time. He hadn't even made dinner yet! He set his palette down and dropped the brush in the can of mineral spirits to clean off the paint and jumped to his feet. "I'm sorry, Usagi," he said as he crossed the room to enter the kitchen, "I lost track of time. I'll get dinner started now."  
  
Usagi grunted in response. This had been a long and exhausting day and she wanted to sleep more than anything in the world, but she knew she'd pay for it if she slept on an empty stomach. She flopped down on the couch wearily and picked up the remote. Switching the television on, she flipped through the channels, looking for something to watch. Five minutes later, she turned it off disgustedly. Forty channels and nothing's on worth watching, she thought absently. She glanced over at Zach's easel, noting that he'd started painting again. She'd seen him do that frequently and always found it fascinating to watch. His style of painting was forceful and energetic and fun to watch. I wonder what he's painting now.  
  
Usagi gasped softly as she saw the image that was half-finished on the canvas. Ami's eyes stared back at her and caused Usagi to shiver. "My god," she whispered. "Zach really is one of them, but how?"  
  
Zach came out of the kitchen and noticed Usagi staring at his painting. "You really shouldn't be seeing this," he chided, drawing a sheet over the canvas. "It's not finished yet."  
  
"Who is that," Usagi managed to asked, staring at him. His resemblance to Zoicite was uncanny now that she was looking for it, but the expression was wrong. Zach was always smiling and she'd never seen Zoicite do anything but sneer. Not to mention Zach had a normal male laugh, not a high pitched cackle like Zoicite had. "She's a dream," Zach replied simply. He saw her confusion and elaborated, "It's an image that I see in my dreams pretty often. Ever since I was a child, this face has haunted my dreams. Kinda ruined me for other women too. I always wind up measuring them to her and they never stand up to that."  
  
"Why are you painting her now," Usagi asked, starting to recover from her surprise.  
  
"When the guys were over last night, we got to talking about it," Zach said. "We've all been having similar dreams all of our lives. Jason thinks it has to do with a past life. He thinks it's why we are such good friends now. That we had a bond that transcended death. Anyway, each of us has dreamed of a woman. We looked for them for years, but never had any luck finding them. We decided to give it one last try. We're going to hire some private investigators and we'll need some way to let the investigators know what they look like, so we agreed to make pictures of them. Guess this sounds kinda strange, huh?"  
  
"A little," Usagi replied. She was convinced that she'd somehow wandered into another dimension. She knew somewhere deep inside that Zach was telling the truth and that she had known him before. "I'm not really hungry. I think I'm going to go to sleep."  
  
"All right," Zach said in surprise. Usagi had never been one to miss meals before, but she got to her feet and disappeared into her bedroom. He watched as the door swung shut behind her and wondered what had happened. She looked drawn and worn out, as if she'd gone through a wringer. Well, he was hungry, so he went back to fixing dinner.  
  
To be continued. 


	4. chapter 4

Usagi lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. How did my life come to this, she asked herself. Two days ago, I was content. Not necessarily happy, but content with my life. I was doing well in school, had some good friends and was able to support myself. Now everything's been turned upside down again, just like when I first became Sailor Moon.  
  
Usagi rolled over onto her side, staring at a picture that sat on her bedside. It was a picture of her and the other Sailor Senshi, standing in the park. Chibi-Usa was standing next to Mamo-chan and they were both clutching onto him, giving each other the raspberry. She cracked a small smile as she thought of those days. She'd been blissfully happy for such a short time that she had to constantly question whether it had really happened or not.  
  
One by one, the people in the picture had turned on her and left her life. Chibi-Usa had been the first, returning to the future to be with her parents, the future version of herself and Mamo-chan. After she'd left, the others had been somewhat distant, their own lives starting to take precedence. Ami had been consumed by her studies and Usagi's pleas for her to come and have fun with them had led to an explosive outburst rare from the quiet girl. She'd told everyone point blank that she was sick of them and the way they tried to distract her from her studying. That she'd rather they left her alone, since the high school entrance exams were coming up and she needed to study for the Mugen Gakuen exam.  
  
Usagi had been hurt and run off crying. Looking back, she should have suspected something was wrong. Ami had never talked to anyone as coldly and condescendingly as she had that day, but Usagi hadn't been able to see that. Not that she'd had time. Rei was the next to go.  
  
Less than a day after Ami had blown the group off, Rei and Usagi had gotten into one of their infamous arguments. To be honest, Usagi had provoked her on purpose. Both of them had always been close and used the arguments as a way to blow off steam, but something was different that day. Rei had been particularly nasty and she had hit Usagi hard. Usagi had stared up at her from where she'd fallen with wide eyes, seeing the seething storm of emotion locked in Rei's violet gaze.  
  
What had followed had been a string of verbal abuse that had left Usagi in shock. She'd never seen Rei that angry before, but she let loose with insults and deprecations that had caused tears to flood Usagi's eyes. Then she'd hit the end and said that she never wanted to see Usagi again. That had hurt worse than the blow that had knocked her to the ground. The coldness in Rei's voice had left no doubt as to her sincerity and it had ripped Usagi's heart out.  
  
Rei had stalked off, not listening to Usagi's pleading. Usagi had stared after her; heartbroken.  
  
Minako hadn't been mean, but she started getting modeling offers and spent less and less time with Usagi and Makoto. Eventually, she stopped talking to them period. Usagi had barely noticed by that point, still in shock over Rei.  
  
Makoto had been painful. She'd relied on her tall, protective friend. Maybe too much. Usagi'd been in the habit of walking Makoto home everyday and having a snack with her. One day, Makoto hadn't come to school, so Usagi figured she must have been out sick. She went over to the apartment after school to see how she was doing and was astonished to find it empty. There were two envelopes attached to the door. One was to the building manager and contained her keys. The other was addressed to Usagi. In it, Makoto called her to task for her laziness, incompetence and her inability to act as a leader. It had said that she was moving out of Tokyo and would appreciate it if Usagi would leave her alone.  
  
With the last of the Senshi gone, Usagi had turned to her last pillar of strength. Big mistake. She'd forgiven Mamo-chan so many times for how he'd pushed her away and how badly he treated her, but she never expected what had happened. When she'd arrived at his apartment, she had knocked. Not discouraged by the lack of response, she fished the spare key from its hiding place in the door molding and let herself in. Inside the apartment, she'd heard some faint noise. Ever curious Usagi followed them to the bedroom, where the door stood slightly ajar. She'd peeked inside and gasped in shock, stumbling forward and causing the door to swing the rest of the way open. Inside the room, Mamo-chan had been under the covers, naked, with another woman. Usagi had stared at the two of them in horrified shock as Mamo-chan had turned to her a look of irritation on his face. "Do you mind," he'd said coldly. "I'm too busy for little girls like you right now."  
  
Usagi had bolted from the apartment, tears streaming down her face. She'd run straight home and thrown herself into her bed, crying her eyes out. Luna had tried to comfort her, but Usagi had turned on her loyal advisor and had all but thrown her out. Luna had left in a huff and that had been the last she'd seen of the cat.  
  
Usagi's eyes teamed with tears as she stared at the picture. She'd managed to put those memories behind her, but Setsuna and the others arrival had brought them back into clarity. Setsuna had said that taking up her mantle as Sailor Moon and the Moon Princess was up to her, but she couldn't help but feel that she was being pressured to do so. Deep inside of her, she wanted her old friends back, even though a part of her said that they didn't deserve to be her friends anymore. And more than anything, she missed her Mamo-chan. Even when he turned against her and cast her into the cold and dark, she still felt the fire of her love for him burning hot in her heart.  
  
And there was her most recent shocking discovery. The one that she couldn't understand in the slightest. The painting that Zach had been working on was unmistakably a portrait of Ami and he'd spoken of dreaming about her. That had sparked the portion of her mind that was once the Moon Princess to realize that Zach was a dead ringer for Zoicite. Substantially less effeminate, but still a virtual duplicate. As she thought back, Neal, Ken and Jason had more than a passing resemblance to Nephrite, Kunzite and Jadeite. But it couldn't be them. All of Beryl's generals had perished in the course of their battle with the Dark Kingdom and there were too old to be reincarnations.  
  
Usagi rolled back onto her back and thought that maybe this would be a question Setsuna could answer for her. Setsuna was a mystery to Usagi. Haruka and Michiru were complex, but their intentions were straightforward and easy to read. Setsuna was the wild card. She was old and had watched civilizations rise and fall. She'd served all of the Queen Serenitys back to the founding of the Moon Kingdom and from what little Usagi could dig up from her memories, Setsuna had always stood aloof. She'd only rarely come to court and even rarer had been her participation in any of the battles at the fall of the Moon Kingdom. It was as if she had other responsibilities than those as a Senshi which were more important to her.  
  
She couldn't pry much out of her memories about Uranus and Neptune. They'd rarely come to court because their responsibilities had kept them fighting off the stray alien at the edge of the Solar System. They'd always stood separate and stuck together, which Usagi realized with a start carried over to their current incarnations. She hadn't thought about it, but now she was sure that Haruka and Michiru were lovers. The way they'd sat together and the little signs that moved between them spoke of an intimate relationship.  
  
Usagi stared at the blank white of her ceiling, trying desperately to figure out what she should do. She hadn't ever wanted to resume her life in Japan as Sailor Moon, but she did miss them. The other Senshi had been more than friends, they'd been family. And she missed Mamoru. He'd been the guiding light of her life until he'd shattered her heart. She wasn't sure if she could take dealing with him again, but she knew she had to try. She hadn't so much as looked at another man seriously since then. If she didn't at least get some closure, she'd never be able to move on in life.  
  
* * *  
  
Haruka glanced across the table in the small café that she shared with Michiru and Setsuna. All of them had wanted to get out of the apartment where they'd had their first encounter with their princess. No one had said anything since then, but one thought had been plain on all of their minds. Tonight had not gone well. Haruka and Michiru had been eager to meet their princess. Ever since Setsuna had awakened them, they'd begun to regain memories from their previous lives. That and a healthy dose of lust had started the relationship between them.  
  
Their memories of the princess had been fragmentary, at best. Neither Uranus nor Neptune had ever spent much time at court during the Silver Millenium, but they'd at least gotten to know the princess on their infrequent visits. She'd been calm and intelligent and beautiful, with a heart bigger than the whole Solar System. To see Usagi was to see a shattered reflection of that wonderful person. Serenity had never had to deal with the pain of betrayal, whereas Usagi had been scarred by it. She was patently unwilling to trust the three of them and that hurt. None of them had ever done anything to her, but she kept them at arms length, in order to keep them from hurting her.  
  
"Do you think she'll be willing to talk to us again," Michiru asked, breaking the ice while calmly sipping her tea. "She didn't react very well to the revelation of our identities, after all. I'd be willing to bet that she's spent the last few years trying to forget everything that happened back then. It must have been horrible for her to have all her friends turn on her like that."  
  
"It was," Setsuna said softly, her hands white as they clenched around a ceramic coffee mug. "I had to watch helplessly as the last chance for Crystal Tokyo crumbled to dust when the last of them abandoned her. Even if she can make up with them, I don't think they'll ever be able to regain the level of trust and friendship they had before. The spectre of the betrayal will hang over them for the rest of their lives."  
  
"But we have to do something," Haruka burst out. "You saw the look on her face; the distrust and fear. We can't leave her with the wounds that the Dark Moon Clan inflicted on her, not if we care about her." Michiru stared at Haruka, a soft smile playing across her face as she clasped her hands over Haruka's. Normally, Haruka shied away from showing her softer side, but talking about their princess, no Usagi, brought it to the fore every time.  
  
"Of course we do, Haruka," Setsuna replied quietly, "but it's all going to depend on Usagi and how much she's willing to let us help. She's wary of us and she doesn't trust us yet, but I have hopes that she will come to rely on us the way she used to be able to rely on the Inners."  
  
Left unsaid, but known to all three was the fear that Usagi would do just the opposite and exclude them from her life, the way she had excluded the Inners. All of them felt the link to Usagi very strongly, perhaps even more strongly than they had in their previous lives and none of them wanted to contemplate a life without her in it.  
  
* * *  
  
Zach was putting the groceries away as he contemplated the events of the day. His hands were sore from acting as sketch artist for the other three as they tried to get pictures together so they could have a detective hunt for the girls. Ken and Neal had volunteered to foot the bill and he and Jason hadn't complained. A prolonged search would be expensive and Ken and Neal could well afford those fees.  
  
Zach placed the last can in the cabinet, closing it as he moved out into the living room. He paused in front of his painting, scrutinizing it. This wasn't the first time he'd drawn or painted the girl. The strange thing was, the image in his mind had never changed. The girl still appeared the same to him now as she had when he was a child and the dreams had started. The others had said the same thing. The girls in their dreams seemed timeless, ageless. Perfect.  
  
Zach sighed and dug into his satchel to pull out his sketch pad. He'd done some pencil sketches of the other girls, based on the descriptions and he now had a whole new respect for police sketch artists. It was very difficult to draw someone by description rather than by first hand experience. Yet, he'd finally managed to produce passable pictures, even if they were gray and white. He intended to transfer them into color on a larger paper stock. Now should he use the felt-tip pens, the colored pencils, or should he paint?  
  
As Zach was deliberating his choice of tools, Usagi stumbled into the room from her bedroom, yawning. Zach glanced over at her in amusement. She had managed to get Thursdays off classes and she didn't have to go to work at the café until the dinner rush started, so she usually slept in. It was funny seeing her stumble about the room on her way to the kitchen and the pot of coffee he kept ready for her. She poured herself a cup, managed to get most of the coffee in her cup and not on the counter and drank deeply from it. Zach winced when he thought about how long that coffee had been sitting there in the coffee maker. It probably had the consistency and taste of battery acid by now. Obviously Usagi felt the same way, as she started coughing and gasping for a minute before sticking her head under the sink and running cold water into her mouth.  
  
Now that the morning's entertainment was finished, Zach turned back to his easel and the open sketchbook at his side. He decided that the pencils would work better on this project since he had a wider variety of colors there than of anything other than the paints, and those were a lot more work. He started sketching a rough face, concentrating hard enough that he didn't hear Usagi pad up behind him.  
  
"Who is that," Usagi asked in the same curiously tight voice she'd used last night when she'd asked him about the unfinished painting he'd been working on last night.  
  
Zach jumped a little, surprised that she was interested in his work. Usagi had rarely shown more than a passing interest in his art before this. Her taste ran more to manga and comics than any other form of art. "I made some sketches this morning for Neal, Ken and Jason," he replied. "Hardest thing I've ever had to do, drawing someone by verbal description. We decided that instead of letting these women haunt our dreams for the rest of out lives, we need to try and find something out about them. So we're going to hire a detective agency to start looking for them for us."  
  
Usagi didn't reply immediately, she just looked at him for a long time and Zach started to feel a strange itch in the middle of his back as he tried to keep his attention on his work. It felt like Usagi was trying to work herself up to a decision of some sort. He let out a quiet sigh of relief when he heard her padding back across the room to her bedroom, but was surprised when she walked back out carrying something. Turning to face her, Zach noted that her hands were trembling slightly.  
  
"These girls are important to you, right Zach," Usagi asked quietly as she sat down on the couch.  
  
"To me, she's the most important woman in the universe," Zach replied as his eyes got a distant look. "I've never found another woman in my life to compare with her. It may be unfair of me to compare other women to what might just be a figment of my imagination, but I can't help it. I've been in love with her for as long as I can remember."  
  
Usagi was quiet again as her fingers ran over the picture frame absently. Finally, she broke her silence. "What if I told you that I might know where you could find them," she asked softly.  
  
Zach spun around in an instant, staring at Usagi in disbelief. He was sure she had to be making fun of him, but her eyes and face were deadly serious. "You're kidding, right," he managed to choke out. "How could you know how to find them?"  
  
"Look at this, Zach," Usagi replied softly, stretching her hand out to offer Zach the picture. "It was taken a little over six years ago."  
  
Zach took the picture from her carefully, his eyes widening in shock as the picture registered. "It can't be," he whispered hoarsely as he focused in on one portion of the picture, "but it is. How? How do you know them, Usagi?"  
  
"Now that's a long and painful story," Usagi replied. Zach winced as he could hear the pain in her voice. A pain that time hadn't dimmed. "It all began eight years ago, when I was walking to school one morning."  
  
To be continued.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Yeah! I finally managed to get another chapter of this done. I'd like to thank everyone for waiting so patiently for this. I had a bit of writer's block coupled with a period of unemployment, so I'm glad to see that this story is on the road to recovery. I'm not sure how long the next chapter will take, but I'm hoping to cut down the time frame as much as I can. But be warned, I have two other stories that I'm working on, so my time will be split as my muse dictates. I'd like to thank Comet Yo for some help with the final scene to this chapter as well as the beginning of the next. Usagi's finally made her decision and committed to it. All that remains is the wrap up in the States and then it's off to Japan.  
  
See Ya  
  
hitobashira 


End file.
